Will the State carry out evictions in public housing? The government intends to encourage the exit from social housing of tenants who have “well exceeded the income ceilings”, announced Thursday Guillaume Kasbarian, the Minister for Housing, in an interview with the newspaper The echoes.
“When we have 5.2 million social housing units in France and 1.8 million households legitimately applying to enter it, is it normal that they are prevented from doing so when there are people within the social housing whose situation has changed significantly since they were allocated their housing? », asks the minister.
Towards a regular and obligatory assessment of assets?
According to The echoes, Guillaume Kasbarian affirms that more than 8% of HLM tenants would no longer be eligible for social housing if they applied for one today. “We must re-examine the relevance of continuing to occupy social housing for those who have largely exceeded the income ceilings, have been able to inherit, sometimes have a second home in their possession, and whose assets – and this is the meaning of the life – has evolved,” continues the minister.
It therefore intends to require social landlords to carry out a regular and obligatory assessment of “the personal, financial and property situation” of social housing tenants. “This will first allow us to question the renewal of the lease. And then to question the level of rents,” adds Guillaume Kasbarian, without giving further details.
Currently, HLM tenants must respond annually to a “resources survey” to attest to their economic situation. If they exceed a certain income ceiling, their landlord can increase their rent, and if they report even higher income, their landlord can in certain cases refuse to renew their lease.
A bill expected in May
These provisions should be integrated into a bill intended as a broader text to promote housing for the middle classes and presented to the Council of Ministers in May, for examination in the Senate in June. The text must also give more power to mayors in the allocation of social housing or in the decision to sell it, detailed Guillaume Kasbarian.
The minister also committed to maintaining “the target objectives of 20 to 25% of social housing” in the municipalities concerned by the SRU law (Solidarity and urban renewal), the upcoming reform of which has given rise to many concerns.